Torch cutting-machine



W. C. BUCKNAM.

TORCH CUTTING MACHINE. APPLICATION FILED MAY 31, 1918.

1,32%,905n Patented Dec. 2,1919.

2 SHEETSSHEET 2.

BY Z

' ATTORNEY Hudson and State of New Jersey, ha e 1nvented a new anduseful Torch Cutting-Ma-c provided beyond one side of the carriagechine, of which the following is a specificawith a worm 16, which mesheswith a worm -tion. V wheel 17 on the upper end-of a vertical shaft Theinvention relates to certain improVe-. 18 mounted in lateral bearings 19on the ments in center standard, swinging arm gascarriage. On the lowerend of said vertical cutting machinery, and comprises specifishaft isanother worm 20, meshing with a. cally, though not necessarilyexclusively, an worm'wheel 21 on a transverse shaft 22. improved machinefor cutting upstanding Said transverse shaft is journaled in bearflangesor along templets of like character, the ings inv lateral arms 23carried by the censame being an improvement upon and within tral portionof a, bracket 2A of V-shape or w my prior Patent 1,172,933 of Feb. '22,1916. other suitable open form which projects The objects ar to securefirmness of supdownward from the carriage 13. A vertical port withcomplete flexibility of movement, shaft 25 is supported revolubly in a(endurability, and compactness, to make postral bearing in said bracketand at its upsible reliable guiding upon a flange and acper end abovethe central part of the bracket curate and continuous cutting, and toenhas a bevel gear 26 meshing with another able the apparatus to beconveniently enbevel gear 27 on the shaft 22. On the lower gaged anddisengaged from the flange. To end of said vertical shaft is ahorizontal these ends the. invention may be said to con- 3 d ving h l 8ic travels p the sist in the. parts, improvements and combinaouter sideof the flange 29.

I 1 ticularly pointed any height 'by L 5 on the post 2, carries a rig d.radlal arm upper and lower, 'ers 12 journaled in To all whom it mayconcern:

resident of Jersey at opposite sides of the arm. Handles 145 WORTHY C.BUCKNAM, OIE J ERS EY CITY, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOB TO DAVIS-BOURN'ON VILLECOMPANY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION NEW YORK.

TOROH CUTTING-MACHINE.

Application filed May 31, 1918. Serial No. 237,413.

on the carriage enable it to be readilylmoved Be it known that I, WORTHYC. BUCK- to a desired position onthe arm. NAM, a citizen of the UnitedStates, and a City, in the county of top of the carriage 13. Itsarmature shaft is preferably arranged transversely and A sleeve 30 isswiveled on or about the shaft 25 between collars 31, and a rearwardlyextending arm 32 is hingedly connected to the vertical swivel by atransverse pivot 33. A rod 34 projecting downward from the hinged arm32'adjacent its pivot bears a pair of horizontally spaced rollers orwheels 35, which are urged by the weight of said arm and thepartscarried thereby to bear upon the inner side of the flange inopposition to the driving wheel'28. Said rollers 35 are mounted upon theof a cross-arm 36, which may be swivelcd upon the lower end of the rod34, and are in substantially equidistant lateral relation to the axis ofthe driving wheel.

The arm 32 carries horizontal and vertical torch adjusters, which inturn carry a downwardly extending arm 39 terminating in a vtorch-holdingsleeve 40. The arm 39 is angled or directed inward in order to bring thetip 41 of intermediate projections of the axes of the pressure rollers35 and 'at or adjacent the transverse vertical plane which intersectsthe 'axis' of the driving wheel.

shown held substantially horizontal, with its tip deflected upward tocut the flange off on a bevel. The angle may be varied by changing thetip, and also by loosening the screw 43 and turning the arm slightlyabout tions' hereinafter described and more par-.

out in the claims, it'being understood that. parts ofthe invention arenot limited to the particular illustrative embodiments. I

In th drawings forming a part hereof:

Figure 1 is a side elevation'of the machine in condition for use; I

Fig. 2 is a sectional end elevation; and

Fig. 3 is an enlarged side elevation of the guiding and torch-bearingstructure.

A pedestal 1 carries a vertical post 2, which can be raised and loweredand held at mechanism designated gener ally 3. A vertical hub, member orcenterframe 4, mounted rotatablybetween collars 6.. This arm ispreferably composed of a pair of rods 7 spaced vertically by strutclamps8 and connected at their outer ends a terminal piece 9. The long trussedoverhanging arm thus constituted is braced by a stay-rod 10 withturnbuckle 11 extend-V mg diagonally from the upper end of the hubmember 4 to the terminal piece 9.

The rods- 7 formlongitudinal guides for fore and aft groovedrolla'carriage 13,which may be made of two vertical halves or framessecured together by the axles-of said rollers s PATENT onion.

. Patented nema, 1919.

An electric motor 15 is planted upon the endportions the cutting torch4:2

The torch 1s i the arm 32 the head 51 upon may be placed entirelyat oneside or the pedestal, "so that the machinendoes not In that event, the

it as an axis. A tube/l4 having ,a flaring basal flange 4L5 placed overthe shaft 25 immediately above the driving wheel 28 protects said shaftand Wheel from injury by the jets.

The torch-adjusting devices include a carriage mounted to slidehorizontally on having a handwheel 46. A second carriage 47 slidesvertically on the horizontal carriage, being'actuated by a screw 48which has a laterally projecting handwheel and shaft d9 geared to it asindicated at 50.- The torch arm 39 is secured to the lower partof theVertical carriage 4:7. 7

From the foregoing it will be perceived that the depending'structure aspreferably constituted comprises twoparts embracing the flange, aprimary part which includes the vertical drive-shaft 25 and the feedWheel 28, and a secondary part flexibly connected to the primary partand carrying the torch, the torch-adjusters and the pair of pressurewheels 35, which bear by gravity upon the flange in opposition tothedriving wheel.

If the machine is used totrim the flange of a boiler head 51, forexample, its pedes tal may be placed upon the approximate center of theinner face of the head, and the carriage arm- 6to a position over theupstanding flange.

By lifting the inner part of the depending torch-bearing andflange-embracing structure about theaxis 33, the pressure rollers 35 canbe caused toclear the top of the flange. In operation, part,supplemented by an additional weight if desired, acts to hold the saidrollers against the inner face of the flange, and consequently thedriving roll 28 quate traction is insured. The torch is then adjusted tothe desired height and distance from the flange, its heating jet islighted and the oxygen cutting jet turned on, and the driving motor 15is started' This causes the driving wheel to revolvein contact with theI outer face of. the flange and thus to propel 50 thetorch aroundits Icircuit. In order-to avoid'm'oving th'e'machine, or other part to beoperated stand upon the work'. driving Wheel 28. acts upon the inner.side of the flange, and the pressure wheels 35 and the torch aredisposed at its'outer side. I Under such conditions a section of theflange ,is trimmed, the. cutting is stopped and the work is shifted inorder. to bring another section of the the torch. The machine may alsobe used to trim flanges of smallerextent surrounding internal openingsin a boiler-head or under the control of a screw 38 'plet, and the,

13 is moved upon the radial the weight of this g against the outer face,with substantial pressure, so that adeflange within the range of 1vertical axis,

the like. In any case the free movement in and out of the carriage 13upon the'radial primarily intended upstanding flanges or metalbeapparent that it may be means combination, a center support, aradialarm swinging upon the center support and presenting a longitudinalguide-way, a carriage movable freely on the guide-way, a torch wherebythe carriage moves automatically in and out on the arm-and swings thesame in accordance with the course pursued by the feed wheeL' 2,Amachine for cutting invarious direcbe pointed downward by purposeseither in the illusand a feed wheel carriedby the carriage, and powermeans for driving the feed wheel,

tions by means of gasescomprising, in combination, a center support,aradial arm swinging upon the center support and presenting alongitudinal guide-way, a carriage movable freely on the guide-way, atorch and a feed wheel carried by the carriage, and a motor and gearingfordrivingthe feed wheel carried wholly by the carriage, wherev movesautomaticallyin and A by the carriage out on the arm and swings the samein acwheel. I

. 3. A machine of radial arm swinging thereon, a carriage freely movableon longitudinal' guides on said arm, and a depending and adapted totravel on an upstanding flange and means fordriving the feed wheel,whereby the carriage moves in and out on obedience to the course pursuedby the self-propelledstructure along the radial arm in 4-. A machine fortrimming upstanding the character described, I comprising a centersupport, an overhanging too torch-bearing structure on the carriagehavmg a feed wheel flanges-by means of gases, havinga center 7 support,a depending self-propelled I structure and means for supporting the samefrom the center wit'h freedom to swingabout the centerand to'move inand'out with'reference thereto as the depending structure travels, alongthe flange, said depending structure having a driven feed; wheel on aand. torch-supportingv means arranged to cause the torch to deliver its105 cordance with the course pursued by the feed 1 jets in substantiallyconstant relation adjacent the vertical region of driving upon theflange.

5. A machine for trimming upstanding of gases, having a center them, thesecondary part bearing a torch and torch-adjusters and freely hinged tothe primary part to bear by gravity against the flange.

- 6. A machine for trimming upstanding flanges by means of gases, havinga center flange in oppositionture, and

support, a depending self-propelled structure and means for supportingthe same from the center with freedom to swing about the center and tomove in and out with reference thereto as the depending. structuretravels along the flange, said dependingstructure comprising a primarypart including avertical drive shaftwith a feed wheel upon its lowerend, and a secondary partsuspended flexibly fromvthe primary part andcarrying.

a torch and torch adjusters and a pair of pressure wheels adapted tobear upon the to the. feed .wheel.

7. A machine for trimming upstanding flanges by means of gases, havingacenter support, a depending self-pro elled structure and means forsupporting tli the center with freedom to swing about the center and tomove in and out with reference thereto as the dependingstructure travelsalong the flange, said depending structure comprising a primary partincluding a vertical drive shaft with a feed wheel upon its lower end,and a secondary part comprismg an arm hinged to the primary part upon ahorizontal axis and bearing and adjusting means and pressure rollersbetween the same and the primary part to bear against the flange inopposition to the a bear upon feed wheel.

8. A machine for trimming upstanding flanges by means of gases, havin acenter support, a depending self-propel d struc means from the centerwith freedom to swing about the center and to move in and out withreference thereto as' the depending structure travels along the flange,structure comprising a primary part including a vertical drive shaftwith a feed wheel upon its lower end to operate along one side of theflange, an arm connected by horizontal and vertical pivots to theprimary part and'bearing pressure wheels in downwardly projectingrelation to bear upon the flange and a torch mounted upon one of said esame from torch holding for supporting the same a said depending inopposition to said feed wheel, and torch j adjusters and a torch carriedby said arm in rear of the ressure wheels and urging the same by theirweight against the flange.

9. A machine for trimming upstandlng flanges by means of gases, having acenter support, a depending self-propelled structure and means forsupporting the same from the center with freedom to swing about thecenter and to move in and out with reference thereto as the dependingstructure travels along the flange, said depending structure comprising.two flexibly connected opposed parts embracing the flange between themand including a driven feed wheel,

opposed parts in position to deliver its jets against the flange nearthe central vertical plane of the feed wheel. a

10. Apparatus of the character described comprismg a center support, an.arm mounted to swing about said support, and a depending ture carriedby said arm in such manner as to be capable of free movement toward andfrom the center, said depending structure comprising outer and innerparts, the outer part including a vertical feed shaft bearing a drivingwheel to travel upon one side of a flange or guide, and the inner partbeing flexibly jointed to the outer part and having a pair of pressurerollers to bear upon 7 the feed wheel, and justing means carrieded-part. j

11. Apparatus of the character described comprismg a center support,anarm mounted to swing about said support, and a depending torch-bearingand guiding structure carried by said arm' in such manner as to becapable of free movement toward and from the center, said dependingstructure comrising outer and inner parts, including torch-holding andadby said flexibly jointflange or guide, and the inner'parttorch-bearing and guiding struc the outer part c a vertical feed'shaftbearing a 7 driving wheel to travel upon one slide ofa being hinged on ahorizontal axis and carrying a. I

pain of gravityeu rged pressure rollers to the other-side of the flangein .op sition to the feed wheel, and torchho ding vand adjusting "meanscarried by said hinged inner part.

12. Torch-cutting apparatus, comprising a" center support, a radial arm,mounted swing about said support, a carriage freely movable lengthwiseon said arm, :rbracket projecting downward from said carriage, a

vertical shaft journaled .in said bracket, :1.

feed wheelconnected .withthe lower end of said'shaft, a motorori thecarriage, a shaft driven by said motor extending downward on thecarriage at one side of the arm, and a short transverse shaft geared to,the proximate ends 'of'said vertical shafts; I w

5 f WORTHY G. BUCKNAM, 5

